Aotearoa was very well represented at this year’s Great Escape Festival in England.
Thanks to a landmark partnership between the New Zealand Music Commission and Live Nation New Zealand, a talented contingent of Kiwi acts headed overseas to showcase their music at the festival.
The 10-strong NZ delegation featured Ringlets, Office Dog, Jude Kelly, our Future of Music 2026 members Muroki and Vera Ellen, and many more, performing alongside over 130 international acts.
Hemi Hemingway was also among their number, and it looks like the trip went very well for him.
The Kiwi crooner, who featured in our Up-And-Coming Aotearoa Artists series shortly before his Great Escape appearance, put together a highlight reel of his trip for Rolling Stone AU/NZ, which you can watch below.
He also wrote down some thoughts about the experience for us — read below.
Hemingway arrived at The Great Escape armed with glorious tracks from new album Wings of Desire (yes, it’s a nod to Wim Wenders’ beloved film of the same name), already one of the best NZ releases of the year.
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Released via PNKSLM Recordings, his second album marks a turning point for Hemingway. After relocating from the UK back to Aotearoa in 2022 and navigating the end of a long-term relationship, he found himself writing through grief and rediscovery in equal measure.
Wings of Desire deepened the palette of 2023’s Strangers Again, with romantic ’50s and ’60s melodicism colliding with gothic ’80s post-punk and more.
Co-produced with James Goldsmith and brought to life by a tight-knit community of collaborators — including Ellen and Georgia Gets By — the album was the first Hemingway hasn’t recorded on his own. Wings of Desire sounded expansive and intimate at once, a body of work capturing an artist stepping fully into himself.
Hemi Hemingway’s Wings of Desire is out now.
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“I used to think that being in Aotearoa was a disadvantage, being so far away from the rest of the world. But the world feels so much more connected now, and people are constantly looking to us and Australia for our art because our voices are so interesting and unique; we’re world-class.”
“The Great Escape, and just this whole experience, has really highlighted to me just how much NZ music belongs on the world stage.”
Credit: Dani Bolton
“This really feels like a huge opportunity that we have been given over many, many others that are equally as deserving. I have to remind myself that I’m not an imposter, that the NZ Music Commission and The Great Escape see something great in all of the artists here, and I’m so excited for more Kiwi artists to share in this experience in coming years.”
“The Great Escape changes things for artists who attend and perform. Someone in the industry reads that you have TGE under your belt and it’s an immediate advantage”.
“The crowds understand how much hard work goes into getting to The Great Escape, and then you mention that you’re from New Zealand, and they seem to be even more thankful that you’ve made it all this way.”
Credit: Dani Bolton
“I’ve come to realise that community — both friends & family AND musical community — is so, so important for the progression of musical careers; especially somewhere as small as Aotearoa. There shouldn’t be any gatekeeping. I sometimes get the impression that people in NZ might feel that there’s limited space on the world stage for us, so they try to keep their knowledge and connections close; but that just isn’t true. Sharing and support within our community is nothing but a positive for the expansion and diversification of an inclusive creative culture in Aotearoa, which in turn leads to a stronger representation of our art in the rest of the world.”
